Ruminations Over a Crimson Raptor
by Panzerraptor
Summary: Set after "The Rise of Madness". As he practices his sword techniques, a close ally watches from a distance with a curious gaze and studious cogitation. What are the Squad 12 Lieutenant's thoughts concerning the red & black renegade? NemuxOC Oneshot


Author's Note 1: Hey, it's been a while since I last uploaded anything. You know how it is with school and all that other stuff. Anyway, I decided to post a quick oneshot. Though instead of including Ichigo like I normally do, I decided to make one with my OC, Dante Blaine, and my favorite female, Nemu Kurotsuchi. It was only a matter of time before I made something like this and I know there are many of you who felt the same. Anyway, hope you like it and don't forget to review.

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**Ruminations Over a Crimson Raptor**

Nemu watched Dante with analytical eyes as he swing his dual zanpakuto. The blades of his swords sliced through the air at multiple pretend foes while he listened to his music player. Each move he made seemed to be like a fatal dance as he kept up with whatever rhythm or beat blared through his earphones. Every now and then, the teen would turn to his one woman audience and signal to her by a bob his head and a smile. She would respond with a fleeting smile or blush of her own.

Watching him practice, she saw him as something of an enigma. On the surface, he seemed like a loud, unpredictable, borderline psychopath. Though, to the lieutenant of the 12th Division, there was a deep complexity about him. Though the aforementioned traits described a good portion of his character, Nemu knew there was more to him than that. The determination, the power, the skill he honed in the Seireitei, and the experiences he received from his original world. There was no way a simple neophyte could be exposed to such variables and survive for as long as he did. She saw him as the embodiment of freedom. An unconfined individual with the will and skill to do as he pleased. Someone she had yearned to be ever since she was 'born'.

Though oddly, it was with this young man that she felt some kind of connection to. How ironic that someone with limited will feels a kinship to someone unbounded by governing powers other than his own. Still, she knew that he felt massive pain. The pain of being tortured, surveyed, and without any memories of sentiment to fall back on. Maybe his psychosis was a product meant for him to cope with his malady.

_"Was it empathy?"_ Nemu began to mull over the emotion she began to feel. _"Or something more… personal? Affectionate, even?"_ Whether or not it was didn't concern her at the moment. All she knew was that she had found someone, an unexpected surprise, who may have underlying similarities to her own. Especially when it came to the physical and emotional scars obtained in combat from their hidden, never ending struggles with both past and present events. Try as he might, there was no way he could hide it from her. _"Perhaps our encounter was destined to be,"_ she mused as she thought of their first encounter only a few nights ago after a hard fought battle involving her father and a Quincy. In all honesty, should expected Dante to save himself and continue on whatever pilgrimage he set upon. Yet, to her surprise, she did the opposite. Not only did he allow the Uryu to take the antidote, but he also made sure that Nemu was safe. Such altruism was something the lieutenant had rarely experienced personally. If anything, he was one of a handful of people who saw her as a sentient being of equal standing than a mere tool.

Both perplexed and intuitive, Nemu continued researching him. She fought alongside him and conversed with him ever since that faithful night, hoping to gain more insight into such a mysterious case. Yet all she saw was almost contradictory to what she previously assumed. Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if Dante himself didn't know about his strange nature. On the small chance that she found an answer about the young assassin, the purple-haired woman found many more questions. No matter how much time she spent, the only solid thing she learned was his drive, his purpose, was fueled by one thing: Revenge. Knowing this, she couldn't help but wonder, _"What would he do next?"_ Even if he did manage to get his righteous payback, what then? What other purpose would there be for him once his personal vendetta was fulfilled? Even though he was under no rule other than his own, he had a mission nonetheless and was forever bound until he met it. _"Perhaps he isn't truly free,"_ she mused.

Still, that didn't mean she would simply stand idly by and allow him face his destiny alone. Though she was still bound by her father's will, she swore to herself that she would help the dimension-displaced swordsman anyway she could. She had a strong, tugging feeling deep in her chest that she just had to watch over Dante carefully. It was possible that he was her key in escaping her own prison. Her key to finally be free. Even if it weren't the case and her choice only led to futility, she knew that it would be an enriching affair all the same.

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Author's Note 2: For those of you who don't know, I'm in the middle of planning a new story. It will be something of a side arc to the manga plot, though with its own differences and unexpected twists. I won't reveal much except that it will be a crossover that include characters from other series. However, I just don't know exactly which characters I should add. I'd like to throw them all in, but I know that would just be too much for both my viewers and myself. That's where you, the readers, come in. I have a poll on my profile which lists 14 possible choices. All you guys need to do is pick 3 of these characters. The 3 with the most votes will be appearing in the next fiction piece. So I implore you, pick your poison. I promise you this story will be awesome as hell.


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